


Lively Demon

by Rowenaaa



Series: The Chronicles [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Black Family Fun, F/M, M/M, Multi, Politics, Pureblood Culture, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2020-02-04 11:12:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18603376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rowenaaa/pseuds/Rowenaaa
Summary: ”I was a mistake, a happy one! But still a mistake nonetheless. I’m born to a house that was practically considered royalty, until it wasn’t. I am to be the next acting lord yet I can’t even get a boyfriend.”Born the bastard son of Sirus Black Delphinus had been abandoned at his dear uncles doorstep. Unfortunately for him he was the heir to a family who would use him for everything and anything. And thus started the life of the greatest(or worse) politician in wizarding history.





	1. Prologue

“Oh come on!” 

“No no no! Not today Sirius Black!” A short woman screamed out over her shoulder. The woman dragged a large suitcase behind her and stepped into the side walk. 

“You’re being ridiculous,” Sirius rolled his eyes. “I’ll call you a cab if you want to leave that badly.” A long drawl, surely enough to make her swoon but not today it seemed. 

“I don’t need you to call me a cab, I am perfectly fine calling the night bus!” If she had paid attention she would have seen her breath in the cold chilly air. Large puffs of cloudy white in front of her face that she took no heed of. 

One foot in front of the other, a steady march on through the quiet street. Or well it was quiet until they came along. 

“Not in that condition you aren’t!” He called our, his own breath he did seem to take notice of. No large breaths as hers was, but small and sporadic. His heart rate was fast, his face turning pink. 

He looked adorable really. Comically so, pink face and long black hair over a chronically cute face suited him to well. It made her angry just thinking about the unfair reality genetics had over physical appearance. 

“Oh yes I am!” The sentence, when it finally pulled it’s way from her lips, was said in a rushed sort of fashion that was strange for her. She took her time with everything. Waking, waking, eating but especially talking. 

It almost seemed as if she was unaccustomed with sleeping so fast, her face was turning an interesting shade of red as if the effort tired her. 

“You. Are. Ridiculous.” Sirius crosses his arms around his torso and marched on steadily catching up to the her. 

“Not today Sirius Black! Not today!” She glanced over her shoulder and seeing him closer then he should have had her walking faster. A dash to get away from him it seemed. 

Magic in her state of panic would almost certainly cause her to make a mistake, she was almost desperate enough to do it. Sirius Black was the only man to ever make her desperate. Of course for all the wrong reasons. 

“Amara! Stop walking away!” Right next to her. She could feel his breath. Almost catch sight of his statues features. Completely unfair.

“No!” She swiveled her head over to him, the sight of his quivering lip and kicked expression almost knocked the wind out of her. 

A stray thought ran through her. ‘Purebloods and their stupid manipulation.’

Didn’t matter much that she was a pure blood as well. His blood was far greater then hers by virtue of who his family was. 

“Amara!”

“Oh what are you going to do? Jinx me? Please! Oh I dare say I’d like to see you at it!” She was getting bold. She had never talked to him like this before. Even when she was at her angriest. He was the one who said things that made her cringe, she was the one who fixed. 

“Amara I’m serious!” She felt the urge..

“Yes I know you’re name is Sirius now let go I’m leaving and you can’t stop me.” His hand clutched at her forearm, not even his hand could completely grasp it. One of her many insecurities and he managed to set it off just like that. 

“You’re making a mistake.” His words dripped with poison, and even then as she ripped herself from his grasp. She couldn’t really feel that she had made a mistake. 

“Let it be the last mistake I make. I’m gone Sirius, you can’t stop me.”

She knew deep within her heart that whatever Sirius said about wanting a family was a lie. She knew, he knew. So why did he insist on playing house? As soon as he found out that she was with child, she would be gone. She knew it was the right thing. He would as well if he completely grasped the situation. 

But Sirius was an idiot, an idiot man child who never got past his 16 year old self and his abandonment issues. He wasn’t fit for children. She knew, he knew. And yet he still fooled himself.


	2. Regulus’ dilemma and other matters

The screeching and the wailing of the child did not come to a halt or even for that matter slow or level out in intensity for the rest of the afternoon. Taking care of a very obviously upset child was not part of Regulus plan for the holidays, he was sixteen for Merlin’s sake! 

He was caring for a child that wasn’t even his own sired but yet here he was. He loved his brother and so that love extended to his nephew. But he felt uncaring for him. In these moments of screaming he wanted to scream himself. 

How old was the child? How long had he been outside? Surely whoever left him had taken a decent amount of care for him. 

He felt such a deep crush of emotion for the child. Taken aback by his own emotional output he held the child to his chest rocking him as he had seen his cousin do with her dolls. 

He was the youngest of the family, he never saw how his aunts interacted with their babes. His cousins hadn’t had children as of yet, he was out of his depths. 

“What am i suppose to do with you?” Regulus whispered to the child. Blessedly he had started to quiet down and kept his crying to only light shrieks instead. 

It occurred to Regulus that the child was probably hungry and that was why he was screaming. Again, how long had he been out there? 

Regulus had only just arrived home, his parents did not use the door. The child was in need of care. 

“Kreacher!” The slight pop that followed sent the baby into madness. 

“Kreacher will handle the child Master Regulus.” Kreacher, bless him, took the child and immediately assessed his needs and somehow quieted the child. 

Regulus had been right in him needing to feed, and apparently change of nappy as well. Regulus was terrified.

“Kreacher is here as needed Master Regulus,” dare he say it he saw the barest hint of amusement in the elf’s bulging eyes. 

The child was swaddled now, looking far less scrunched up and red. Adorable now that he got a nicer look. 

He ventured a guess that the child was less then a month old, he was so small and fragile. He was so scared. Where was his fool of a brother? Why wasn’t he taking care of the child? How could he abandon such a precious thing? 

Even with such thoughts regulus felt that he understood, the thought of parenthood was daunting. Being faced with the babe brought out fear that he tried to force down. 

“I feel myself slowly slipping into madness, I fear for your life if you were to remain with me for any longer then needed.” Regulus whispered to the child and leaned down to him. 

The blanket he was laying underneath regulus finally noticed was soft, delicate enough for the babe. 

He couldn’t understand why his father left him in charge of the child, why couldn’t he care for him? 

Regulus took one last glance and decided then that his father and the child would not be a good look. Absolutely not. Never would he imagine his father and the babe bonding. Oh no that was a tragically scary thought. 

“I had my life planned but here Sirius is rushing in and ruining all my plans again.” 

It was just like Sirius to find a way to mess with his brother in the most significant ways possible. He was to join the dark lord, he wanted to serve. But how could he with the child? Now he had to focus and be better.

His Hogwarts education would also need to be...revised as well. He had only a short time left in Hogwarts. A few months, after which he was planning on joining his lord. The child though, how could he? 

Regulus found following the path of his parents undesirable, staying to the side and supporting from the far. But to protect the child he would do what he must. 

Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter but it’ll start to pick up in length from here


	3. The Heir

The sight Orion Black had walked in on was unfortunately sweet. His youngest son and his only grandchild asleep on the floor. 

He felt the corner of his lips tilt up against his own violation. Oh the show he had put on had certainly worked that he knew now. 

Regulus had always been easy to manipulate that way. The child was unplanned but when he found of its existence well he could only take the opportunity as it presented itself to him. 

The mother was disposed of easily, Sirius the fool he was had no clue of the child’s existence. The child himself was blessedly pure. They could pass him off as Regulus’ spawn if only to keep the child within the family. 

A child out of wedlock wouldn’t due of course, a child out of wedlock and from an underage heir was even more unfortunate. A better scandal then adopting the son of the disinherited. They could swipe this under the rug, craft a narrative of naive love and shot gun marriage. 

No one would have to know. Not even his wife, she would have to believe him. She wouldn’t question what he told her. 

He lifted the child off the floor, he knew better then to leave them there like that. He beckoned the elf to bring in the new baby carriage. Green and silver, just as it should be. 

The child’s eyes opened and he was met with bright blue eyes, just as Regulus’ had been when he had been born. They faded to the characteristic grey of the blacks later. 

He had already started damage control and spread the news of the new heir of black. Now all he had to do was figure out what to do with the spare child that he had found out about. His eldest certainly had been busy, barely out of Hogwarts and already two children? 

Not that the child had been born yet, blessedly he had time but even he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to pass the child off. 

“Father,” regulus lifted himself off the floor with the grace expected of him. “I did not realize you were here.” Orion spied his ears turning red. 

“Did you expect I would leave you and the child alone for this long?” Frankly he would but he also needed to make things clear. “I did not come here to socialize, I know you’ve made your decision.”

Regulus didn’t visibly react but he knew well enough how he was reacting internally. It always brought a smile to his lips watching his children realize how they had been manipulated.

“You will be leaving Hogwarts, I know. Tutors will be afforded to you of course,” He nodded as he said this brooking no room for argument, “the child is of course yours now. Legally as of yet, but officially sired by you.” 

Here Regulus did open his mouth to retort, Orion held his finger up. “We cannot have a bastard heir born from a disinherited child.” Regulus was turning a new shade of red now. 

“He is yours, the story is being circulated as we speak. Your mother will have found out now so expect a letter soon, she won’t be pleased. You’ll be briefed on your cover soon enough.” Regulus wasn’t given very much time to act on his fathers words. 

“As of now the family tree is being changed. The child needs a new name, as the father you have the right to name him.”

His sons eyes were shiny, he was always to emotional. “Delphinus.” 

“Oh? We haven’t had a black named that since-“ 

“Great grandfather yes I know.”

“It’s a cursed name.” 

“He will be the one to break the curse.” 

“I have no doubt in that much.”


	4. Mother and the scandal

His father had been right when he said that his mother would be sending a letter. A strongly worded letter that he expected would threaten him in some way.

The joy his mother was really. 

He wasn’t sure what story his father was circulating but he wasn’t appreciating it from what he gathered from his mothers words. His mother could be tricking him he supposed, but then again when had she ever had a sense of humor? 

She was known for a great many things but her humor wasn’t one of those things he was aware of. 

Dearest Regulus, 

I hope this letter finds you and the newest little charge in good health. Thank you greatly for informing me of my new grandson.

I hope to meet his mother soon, the woman you would throw your entire world away for just for the chance to marry. You are lucky she is of good standing otherwise you would not be here today Regulus Black. 

Rest assured when I find my way back to London me and you will be having a very nice chat. A nice long chat. 

The child you better be taking care of, your duty as the heir of black is to take care of every black that you have some how sired! 

Don’t think your father has not told me about the other child! Just you wait Regulus Black just you wait.

Love, 

Walburga Cassandra Black 

By all means it could have been worse. She hadn’t sent a howler, which was a step in the right direction considering her treatment of his brother. By far though, what was happening now was worse then being sorted into the wrong house.

This would stop any muttering anyone would still have over Sirius. Now Regulus was the scandal that would have them titter into their tea. 

Regulus feared for his own life at this point though. Even without the howler his mother was a scary women. He could only imagine what was going through her mind. The dark lord would be easier to mollify then his own mother that much he was certain of.

But for Delphinus it was would have to be worth it. His son. But was he really? He had to be, he needed to think of him as a son. He couldn’t do this. He was a Father! 

He wasn’t ready to be a father. 

He disliked his father and idiotic plans. Of course he pulled him into something as-

There was another child. 

Why was he just focusing on these words? Why didn’t he hear it first when his father said it? Why hadn’t he concentrated on those words? Why? 

He never understood himself, he was so easily distracted. But just when he needed to concentrate he couldn’t even find it in himself to focus on the bigger picture. 

Regulus felt his heart skip a few beats. His bastard of a brother. Why oh why? Regulus felt his composure dropping, his walls slipping away from him. His stupid fool of a brother couldn’t keep it in his pants. 

He sired two children! Now he had to claim them both? Regulus wondered what type of magic this was that was pulling him into his worst nightmares. 

His father had planned this. He must of somehow gotten Sirius to impregnate these woman. His head was slipping away from him, even his father wasn’t this devious. 

A Slytherin to the very end he remembered his grandmother describing his father. Any situation he could to meet his own needs he would. But how would this meet his needs? Regulus felt his head swimming.

The baby was crying again. Delphinus. Delphinus was crying. 

His son. 

Regulus picked up his son and rocked him. He was crying along with the child, he knew his mother would be arriving soon. The letter was far to swift for his liking. Tomorrow was far closer then it should have been. 

Regulus felt a strange bond form as he and Delly cried together. Crying was the way they bonded? Even he felt pathetic just thinking about it. 

He knew he shouldn’t be giving him pet names, he wasn’t a pet. He could hear his mothers scoldings now, oh he couldn’t ever show his face again. 

What would his friends say? 

Oh Merlin what would they say? 

He didn’t want to think about them, he didnt want to think about his impending death, he didn’t even want to think about how Bella was sure to chase him through the streets after rejecting her lord. 

All he could think about was the child, no children, that depended on him now. 

He was crying harder now, he was young. He wanted to be a child. But he was the heir to the noble and most Ancient house of black. He had stopped being a child a long time ago.

His tears were falling onto the baby now. His little onesie getting wet now. 

He couldn’t afford to be a child. But maybe for this small moment, while delly clutched his rumpled robes and begged for comfort regulus could stew in his own whims.

For a few long moments he cried, he hadn’t cried so hard since he was young and Bella had cursed him for winning their game. What was the game and how he had won he wasn’t so sure now, but back then the sting and betrayal had hurt so much that he had burst into tears.

He was haunted by his own childhood, the memories fluttered back now. Every moment of terror and betrayal clear as day to him. 

How could he bring these children into this? It was his duty, he couldn’t allow any more Bella’s into this world. 

Delly was eating his cloak, he could smell the drool masking the sweet baby smell. He lifted himself carefully from the floor making sure to support the child’s head.

A small rational part of his brain reminded him his mother would be on her way and would arrive soon, expecting to meet Delly. They would need to look his best. Her sharp young would not be mollified just because her grandchild was near. 

Kreacher, as if reading his mind, had already had the child dressed and ready. He noticed the crib now, his father must have summoned it from the vaults. 

Beautiful was the only word to describe it, yet it also looked like a horrible place for a child to sleep. Long gilded snakes circling the opening and a dark green interior. Sturdy and delicate all at the same time. 

Regulus didn’t like it at all. It was rather imposing and looked like it would swallow the babe whole. He shifted Delly in his arms and tried to make himself seem as ready for his mother as he could with one hand.

He wasn’t ready to face her yet. He didn’t think he ever would be. 

He took the child and himself to the drawing room seated he bounced the child and tried to occupy himself. He felt like hours had gone bye in his wait for his mothers arrival. 

She really had decided to rush to London. He could hear the door opening, Kreacher welcoming in his mistress.

Regulus felt his breath go sporadic, maybe he could sneak out the house before his mother appeared. 

His eyes were still puffy, the baby was still wet. Had he peed himself? Oh no the child was about to start crying. Everything was going wrong before he could comprehend it all. 

“Regulus darling is that you?”


	5. Chapter 5

I have to face her. I have to turn around and look my mother in the eye and tell her I have a child and another on the way. The baby was still chewing at my cloak, my face was wet, my eyes were probably red. But I have to turn around and smile and face my mother. 

“Regulus oh!” She walked closer and peered over my shoulder at the baby, still of course with my cloak in his mouth. “Dear you shouldn’t be eating that, oh no bad baby.” She snatched the child out my arms and proceeded to start fawning over him. “Oh aren’t you the cutest little darling! Oh yes you are!” She swayed back and forth and cradled him to her chest. 

“Mother,” my voice hitched. She ignored me in her usual style. “Please mother don’t-“ 

“Don’t what dear? Oh look at that nose! That’s your grandfathers right there. Nasty little twit he was, but you won’t be will you dear? My sweet baby will be kind, and wonderful. He will bring pride to the family name!” She twirled around the room happily.

She stopped moving suddenly as he started making vague distressed motions. “When was your father going to tell me about you I wonder? Hmm you think he wasn’t? He couldn’t hide you for long. I wonder where your mother is?” She turned and eyed him. Seemingly seeing him truly for the first time. “I wonder dear why you’re crying, it’s unsightly.” 

“The mother is dead.” It slipped out of his mouth before he knew what he was doing. He wished nothing more then to throw himself off a cliff. 

“I’m not going to ask if she was a pure blood. No no no you know better, but then again you had this thing hm?” She smirked at him her eyes glittering. “Is that why you’re crying then? You miss her?” Her words were needlessly cruel. He wasn’t actually grieving the mother of his child, or rather Sirius’ child. In her effort to get under his skin he found strength. This was his act, this was his time to shine. He could do this, he was young and terrified. But he knew the truth, something she could never say. 

“No actually.” His tears were gone. There stood the Regulus he could only dream of actually being. Confident and sure of his words. Why wasn’t he this way? “The mother is gone, there’s nothing else to say. Delphinus is a bastard, as heir current this can’t be left to stand.” His mother watched him, her smirk hadn’t disappeared but she seemed to be appraising him. Good or bad he couldn’t be sure. 

“I’ve talked to father,” no he hadn’t, “He has ways of forging a marriage, the baby could be a legitimate heir with the right paperwork. No one needs to know he was born with no marriage.” He wasn’t actually sure this could be done actually. Magic was a thing though so he was reasonably sure he could pull it off with enough motivation. 

“The tapestry doesn’t lie Regulus.” He paused for a moment. Did she know the truth? The way his father spoke she knew nothing. “I know the mother, I know you. Everyone will know it’s a lie. I can mess with the tapestry though, all things can be fixed. But!” She stepped closer to him, making him lean away so far he almost felt he would fall backwards. “You must realize what this means. Your grandfather is rolling in his grave! The shame!” She sighed and handed the baby to him not gently mind you. 

She wiped her hands on the skirts of her dress and walked away from the room. “I need to talk to your father. The baby is something we can work to our advantage. Unfortunately you will have to leave Hogwarts but good riddance. That Albus Dumbledore was starting to get a little to uppity for my own tastes.” Her voice was getting lower the farther she walked. Eventually he could hear nothing but the soft cries of the baby. 

He was left alone to his thoughts and the silent wails of a bastard.

Orion - 

He was rather confident he could convince the pregnant witch in front of him to give in. She tried to hold out but everyone folded eventually. He was a Black, he got what he wished for and she knew that. 

Yet the girl still sat nervously in their lounge. Her hair pulled back and her wand stuck in her front robe pocket. Her protruding stomach was just noticeable enough. 

“I understand that your relations with my son have been tense,” her face said it all really. When he mentioned Sirius she looked as if she swallowed a lemon. A very sour, horrible tasting lemon. “That is why I wish to take your burden away.” He smiled at her, he knew and she knew. She would take his deal. 

“I don’t want marriage.” Her lip quivered suddenly and he felt the pulse of magic. The girl could probably feel it much more strongly though, pregnancy magic really? 

He discreetly shot a locking charm on the door to discourage Walburga from walking in. He needed to do this carefully. 

“It is in your best interests to join the family for a short while. Just long enough for you to give birth and surrender the child. The babe will be claimed and given a name. A legitimate child.” He stressed the last sentence to her. She bit her bottom lip, and avoided his eyes. She knew what she had done. 

“We both know your plan and it’s working.” Her eyes shot up and finally met his. She opened her mouth several times as if to defend herself against him. 

“Fine! Fine fine fine fine fine!” She grew progressively louder the more she went on standing and almost knocking her chair back. Hufflepuffs caved in quickly he found. Loyal and hard working yes, master schemers? Hardly. 

“So you know then. I want the money upfront and assurance this won’t get out.” She said.

“Of course,” he drew a paper out and started to wave his wand. Words filtered out through the page. “A contract must be signed. Sign here to agree to marry Regulus, sign here to agree to stay away away in France for a short while and well disappear I suppose. This will be taken care of by us of course,” she nodded tears forming on her eyes. “We will need a sample of your blood as well for an adoption ritual.” “What-“ “We will also need you to consent to an unbreakble vow,” “Now see here-“ “As well as to stay as far away from England as you can.” 

Her hand was signing the contracts in front of her, she was out of control. Her chubby cheeks were turning red and her eyes wild as she tried to yank her arm away. The wonders of magic he found could be beautiful. 

The half blood witch would need to be purified. The child inside of her would need to be a pureblood, dark magic to change the blood status but could be done. They would need far more of her blood then she would willingly give but that was the point. 

The noble and most Ancient house of black would not be tainted by those that sought to ruin them.


	6. The Nameless and the Fool

Regulus eyed the unconscious woman, his wand clutched securely in his left hand. His father seemed to take the whole situation in stride of course and started to arrange vials of something all around.

“Sirius didn’t have the foresight to impregnate a pureblood,” his father smiled a sharp grin in the direction of the woman. 

Regulus shuffled slightly closer to her, idly apprehensive at what he might see on her. She wasn’t very pregnant, maybe a few months along? He wasn’t used to pregnant woman and didn’t deal with them often. “A muggle?” He leaned over and felt her pulse. 

“Half-Blood, slightly better but not acceptable. Her lineage isn’t so bad though. Grandparent was a Muggle-Born. Her parents are wizards. The babe in her would be a pureblood in normal society.” 

Regulus wasn’t very sure how that was supposed to work. “Even her other parents lineage is that pure?” 

“Of course not, sporadic bunch of muggles thrown in.” His father rolled his eyes and leaned over the women. “Course this means we can’t accept the child. Can’t have that in the family. Oh no we have to change her blood!” Regulus felt slightly sick at the idea, dark magic was his love but this was vile. 

He could appreciate a good potion and a little bit of tampering but this? Crossing the lien. Especially since she was holding his supposed child. 

“You’ll be marrying her, she needs a blood change. The baby needs to be pure. We don’t need anymore scandal then what your brother has brought to us.” His tone was light but regulus didn’t respond. He wanted to puke. 

He was a child. Only a child. Plans, grand plans for everything. He was scared, terrified really. Marriage, children, no more friends, no more Hogwarts! Now he was assisting in a dark ritual to change his soon to be wife’s blood status. 

“What about the baby? What will happen to it? Rituals and babies they don’t mix well.” Regulus whispered it but his father still seemed to catch the words. 

“It should be fine. If not,” his father shrugged “Who will know? We only know she’s pregnant, your mother is aware but accidents happen.” 

Right. Right he could do this. He could make it though this. 

 

The ritual went off without delay. Held in their abandoned home in France, (“Dirty place! Filthy filthy France. Creatures and halfbreeds the filth-“) her breathing was rough and she was laid in bed. Her features had changed. Her hair was falling out. 

“She’s dying isn’t she?” Regulus asked. 

His father seemed to not care at all. He just looked at her and examined her stomach. He was no healer but he cared for her. The baby was top priority now that it was for sure a pureblood. “She would survive if not for birthing. The baby will take her out.” He was grim when he said it. “She’s a black now. Dorea and Charlus are her new parents.” 

A soft oh slipped from his lips. Dorea was a black, his cousin three times removed. Charlus a black through marriage, formerly a potter. Both very incredibly dead. 

“So that’s what we did.” 

“Sacred ritual. Us blacks have to do what we have to do to survive. More heirs is good for us. What your bastard brother did is a blessing in disguise.” He was drunk on magic. His smile was wide and calculating. “Your grandfather would love this.”

He would have. Grandfather Arcturus loved ritual potions and sacrifices. Bemoaned the fact that they went out of fashion. He passed years ago, hadn’t he?

She woke up suddenly and she cried. 

Regulus didn’t know how handle crying woman. “I’m sorry.” It came out in a rush, his voiced cracked embarrassingly. 

“No it’s not your fault,” she sniffled violently and clutched her head “I just! It’s all my fault. I made a mistake. I made a mistake!” She touched her stomach and cried harder. 

“I don’t understand.” Regulus frowned.

“She’s going to grow up.” She gasped. She started to scream. “I’m in labor!” 

That was impossible of course. She wasn’t far enough along. “No er Dorea, you’re not.”

She looked at him strangely. Her eyes misting up. “Only a few months along. Sirius doesn’t want children. He wants to be alone.” She continued to stare at him and regulus shifted uncomfortably. 

“I have to go!” Regulus rushed out of the cottage and tasked a house elf to watch her.

Delly chewed on his sleeve getting slobber all over his brand new onesie. Secretly regulus was rather sad to see it get ruined so soon. It was an adorable little sight but the money that went into that outfit!

Delly was a rather fat baby. With a lot of hair all over his big round head. True to his fathers words his eyes had turned from a bright blue to a rather dark blue. They were expected to be the traditional gray eyes blacks often sported.

“Da da da da da,” Delly babbled on the floor still chewing on his sleeve. His toys laid all around the floor and ignored. Regulus sighed, he was used to being a father now but it didn’t make him less tired when he looked at him. Young and innocent.

The screams that tore past the door behind them distracted him long enough for Delly to lob his block at Regulus. “Little bugger,” he frowned at the child and was frowned at right back. 

Sarcastic little brat didn’t even know what he was doing but he liked to imitate regulus. The screaming stopped very suddenly. A stillness in the air perpetrated the room. The baby was born. 

He stood as his mother walked out of the room grim faced. “Go see her.” He hardly paid attention to her words and rushed to move off the floor and into the birthing room.

The stillness from outside suffocated the room. The bed was soaked in blood, magic infused the room and the windows shook. 

Dorea Black, formerly Honaly Gurting, laid in the bed breathing hard. “My daughter,” she whispered. “Her name!”

They hadn’t been able to come up with the name in the 6 months it had taken for her to come to term. “Elladora?” She looked at him a stillness in her eyes following the question. She sank back into the pillows and coughed horribly. 

“Elladora Black.” Great aunt Elladora had been insane. Cutting off house elf’s heads and mounting them. Not someone to name your child after but-

“Her last wish Regulus, you cant dismiss that.” His mother was holding his daughter in her arms. Logically he knew she wasn’t his yet but his mother didn’t know that. 

“Elladora Dorea Black.” Regulus smiled sadly. He hadn’t loved his wife, but she deserved the life she had been promised. She dreamed of living in France, seeing her child when she wished, being happy. But she messed with the wrong family, she should have targeted someone less dark. 

“An heir and a spare.” Mother glanced down at Delly from where he appeared next to her feet. “Young to be doing magic already but not unheard of. We will have to do another presenting ceremony.” His mother continued to titter on about the prophet and many things he simply didn’t care for. 

In her arms his child, Ella his mind supplied, started to wail. Of course he had another crier. He hardly just got out of the stage with Delly and he was already going through it again.

He cursed Sirius but also thanked him. He was fond of the children. Maybe he loved them even. Tired as he was he cared for them as his own. Yet Sirius hadn’t a clue. He would never know. He couldn’t know. Not with the way the world was turning. Sirius would demand them back, simply to be petty. Not possible anymore for Delly. But Ella? He could, if he fought hard he could win her. 

Regulus strode forward carefully peeling her away from his mother. His life wasn’t over as he initially thought when Delly walked into his life. It had hardly been done for. 

The daily prophet reacted to the news as well as expected. His father had them eating out of his hand so a glowing article on the front page announced rather boldly 

“The shining light in the black family! A daughter born to the main line!” 

The shinning light was currently screeching as Kreacher tended to her. All round and wrinkly Ella was rather cute when she wasn’t being antagonizing.

But all babies were weren’t they? 

The subtitle under the main line did catch his attention with a less bold but still noticeable, “The heir black a single father?!”

No one questioned the fact that Dorea and Charlus had never formerly introduced their child into Wizarding circles. Nor did anyone question why Regulus married and had kids so young. 

Rather they did so behind closed doors where the blacks would not hear. Where retribution was not expected.

Regulus didn’t like the way the pureblood circles skittered around him. They were weary but they thought they could fool him. Fat chance, he was training as heir. He couldn’t allow himself to be weak. 

Yet here he was. Two dependents and no one to look after him. Being raised by a house elf wasn’t something he was looking at for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a dumb person and wrote this the day before I planned to post it. But it’s alright I have everything planned out. I know you may be impatient to get to the actual Delly part but we aren’t ending the set up till after chapter twelve or so. On a brighter side I’m planning to update this sorry to every Friday!


End file.
